Refugees accommodated in Namibia, Zambia

November (IRIN) - Most Angolan refugees who fled across Angola’s southern border into Namibia have been transferred to a secure camp away from the border, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told IRIN on Monday. But Hesdy Rathling, UNHCR’s Senior Liaison Officer in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, said he feared more refugees would be fleeing fighting in southern Angola. “Thanks to transport provided by the government, we have managed to transfer almost all of the 2,400 refugees who crossed over in the past 10 days or so,” he said. “They are being housed in tents at the Osire camp in safer conditions some 750km south of border. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF (the UN Childrens’ Fund) are in contact with the ministry of health to help cope with medical requirements. But I want to stress that so far we have only avoided a disaster at the border - we need the international community’s help to sustain this assistance.” He said groups of refugees, fleeing as government forces flush out strongholds of the rebel UNITA movement in the south of the country, were still crossing the border daily. UNHCR expected their numbers to double next month. Other clashes in the southwest of Angola had also seen a similar influx across the Zambian border, according to UNHCR, where since 8 October, over 3,700 had crossed over into North-Western Province and Western Province. UNHCR said in a statement the refugees were also being transferred to camps at Meheba and Mayukwayukwa in Zambia after screening. Most were reported exhausted after long walks through the bush.